Some Quick First Impressions: Time Bokan 24, Heybot!, Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

And here it comes. The first impressions are on your way. Start up with the children’s shows

Time Bokan 24

Short Synopsis: A kid is kidnapped by a time-travel rhinoceros beetle machine on his way to school, soon to find out he’s destined to be the one (going back time to find a ‘true’ history)

Mario: Your typical kid show where super-team kids have to go back history to find the real (and somehow “funny”) history. While the show has some merit in its premise (who doesn’t like the idea to go past time and witness what really happened in our history), Time Bokan 24 doesn’t really care to dig deep into the historical figures or events. Take this first episode for example, the only trait Cleopatra possesses in textbook history is ‘beautiful’, so the twist is that they are actually a comedy husband-and-wife unattractive-but-charming duo. No, it doesn’t make any sense for me either. And being billed as an action kid show, of course there is an action mecha fight out of nowhere in the climax. I haven’t mentioned any of the leads simply because by the end of this episode I already forget about them. This isn’t worth anyone time.

Potential: 0%

 

Heybot!

Short Synopsis: A kid was sent away on his birthday to find his precious “screw”, then he finds “the one” (Heybot robot)

Mario: Imagine my utmost amazement when I actually find Heybot occasionally funny and entertaining. Yes, this is a series about a toy product, and the comedy is so randomly and throw at your face from every angle that its misses are as consistent as its hits. But for a children’s show to be this loose, and still remains entertaining on top of that, it’s a joy to watch. The main thing that makes this first episode really work is that Heybot never takes itself seriously, but instead keep “screwing” around. In this world (Screw Kingdom), everyone loves screw. For a kid show, the amount of hidden sexual jokes are overwhelming, if one really notices it. Lines like “Battery virgin”, “It’s a screw hole, so it means I stick it in, and screw”. “Feel so good!” could give any parents a hard time when watching with kids, but I’m glad the show sticks with it. The plot is as nonsensical as it could get, but you’re not watching this show for plot, you watch it for (the love of) screw!

Potential: 25%

 

Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

Short Synopsis: A kid on his way to collect and hatch a monster egg, soon to find out that he’s destined to be the one (to be a monster rider).

Mario: Monster Hunter doesn’t offer much context, except being a harmless kid action show. The plot of a kid who finds a monster egg to hatch, and later eventually become “the one” is a story that already been told thousand times. For what it’s worth the cast is generic but at least they aren’t annoying; and the monster designs look just like those monsters from Yugioh TCG. The backgrounds, as expected from children show, are colorful. The same can be said with those monsters and our character’s hairs. I have not much else to talk about this show unfortunately. This show is not a waste of time per se but there’s nothing truly stand out from it either.

Potential: 0%

2016 Fall Anime Season Preview

There are times when I think that time hates me. After all my work hours go by so slowly that one would think time has stopped. Yet my spare time flies by that I look at a clock and one minute later look again to see an hour has gone by. I barely feel this season even started and yet it’s already ending and we got a whole new lineup to see. I previously said the current season looked to be a rather weak one but it has brought a number of surprises. The question is whether that will happen again as this season is looking potentially weaker. The large amount of original shows certainly increases the chances of a number of hidden gems so you never really know until it’s over.

My usual method of checking out every bit of source material I could find didn’t fair too well this time due to the large amount of anime original and untranslated works. But if I could get my hands on it, I checked it out. This season we are doing something a bit different. My usual way of doing this has become a bit outdated not that we have a number of authors on the blog. So instead of the poll below being used to decide one of the shows I will cover, we will use the poll as a means of figuring out just what you want us to cover. Basically it will be more or less the same but the top pick may not be covered by yours truly. Feel free to vote for as many shows as you would like.

This poll is no longer accepting votes

What will you be watching this winter?

Once again thanks to Mario for gathering the images and the others for inputting their two cents on certain shows. Let us get started.

 

The sequels/prequels I don’t care about

12-Sai. Chiccha na Mune no Tokimeki 2

AJIN 2

Bubuki Buranki: Hoshi no Kyojin

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS 2

Cardfight!! Vanguard G Next

Digimon Universe: App Monsters

Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou

Hibike! Euphonium 2

Kaitou Joker 4

SHOW BY ROCK!! 2

Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans 2

Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love Legend Star

ViVid Strike!

 

Series I don’t look forward to

 

Bloodivores


 

60 years ago, a strange case of insomnia struck the population, forcing them to stay awake for more than a full week. The victims, completely sleep deprived, all went mad. To cure this illness, a new medicine was produced, but the side effects turned the patients into vampires. Humanity went to war against this new species and triumphed, but some of the vampires managed to survive. Born from a Human and a Vampire, the main character Mi Liu, “The Child of Hope”, is to represent the new hope that will connect the two species. Ringleader of a bank robbery, Mi Liu is arrested and transferred to a special prison of the National Defense Agency that monitors Vampires. Trying to break free with Anji, Mi Liu is attacked by strange monsters and he finds out that the prison location corresponds to the birthplace of Vampires, the old capital “Blue Town.” Why are Vampires trapped in Blue Town? What are those strange monsters attacking them? Our heroes must fight to solve those mysteries.

Studio: Creators in Pack TOKYO

What happens in the backstory of this show sounds much more interesting than the show itself. A world driven made by insomnia? That is actually a pretty interesting concept. But nope, it’s just backstory to justify vampires. Really gotta hand it to the scientists that somehow managed to turn people into vampires when trying to cure insomnia. Anyway we have no staff information and it might surprise some that this is an adaption of a Chinese web comic originally called Space-TIme Prisoner. Based on what little I read it’s really nothing to write home about. Fairly mediocre, much like The Outcast series airing in the summer season. I quite like that anime is being created of non-japanese works but I really wish they could pick something a little more worth it.
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